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The limits of social media (and why face-to-face and email are still king)

Social media is a powerful tool for unions to communicate with their members and potential members, but it is no magic bullet and won’t automatically cause union messages to “go viral” or see a large upsurge in new members.

With Facebook’s user population now exceeding one billion people, most unions are establishing a Facebook page and setting up Twitter accounts. But be careful: it’s important to know what social media can and cannot do.

Contrary to what you may have read or heard about social media (especially in the aftermath of massive “success stories” like Kony 2012 — remember that?), sites like Facebook and Twitter don’t actually drive action.

I’ve argued that social media is a very soft influencer that contributes to and builds upon a person’s engagement with their union. It’s usefulness for unions comes from its links to the Consistency and Commitment Principle — where people are more likely to do something they publicly say they’re going to do — and the Power of Weak Ties, where people are subtly influenced by what their peers do and think.

Dell cites some numbers. For example, Facebook page updates are seen by between 10-16% of page fans. This compares poorly to the average of around 25% for email, and even higher (90% Dell says) for SMS text messages.

But nothing beats face-to-face. Unions have known this for decades. The purpose of social media and digital campaigning and communications is to support those on-the-ground activities. Once you’ve got those new members, social media should be a part of the mix — along with emails, direct mail, phone calls, and personal visits — to keep them.

As for social media… well, it needs to be purpose-driven. Never set up a Facebook page or Twitter account “just because”. If you don’t have a plan on how you can use social media to drive your real-world campaigning and organising success, don’t bother with it. What is your union’s social media strategy?